Placements

Relevant work or volunteering experience can help you decide where you want to be in future, and also shows potential employers that you are committed to a geoscience career. The Geological Society does not offer any work experience, but we do offer help and advice on placements and organised schemes.

Some industries offer summer internships, especially for students who have just completed their 2nd or 3rd years. Places are usually quite competitive but it is a great way to become known to a particular company, and can lead to both valuable experience and even job offers. Internships are not restricted to industry only - many volcano observatories run volunteering programs for university students, and university staff may have grants which allow them to take on summer interns to help with projects and laboratory research.

There are a lot of opportunities out there for getting some early career experience while studying - anything from internships to volunteering to help with science outreach and communication for a local museum. It’s useful for furthering geological knowledge, for getting a feel for what a career in geology is like, developing transferable skills, and making yourself known to potential employers.